The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation eBook

Of one fact, however, he was certain—­that
diamond buckle belonged to Miss Celia Lennard, and
she lived at an address in London which he had by
that time written down in his pocket-book. And
now arose the big (and, in view of what had happened,
the most important and serious) question—­how
had Miss Celia Lennard’s diamond buckle come
to be in Room Number 263? That question had got
to be answered, and he foresaw that he and Miss Lennard
must very quickly meet again.

But there were many matters to be dealt with first,
and they began to arise and to demand attention at
once. Before he had finished breakfast came a
wire from Mr. Franklin Fullaway, answering his own:—­

“Deeply grieved and astonished by your news.
Am coming down at once, and shall arrive Hull two
o’clock. In meantime keep strict guard on
your cousin’s effects, especially on any sealed
package. Most important this should be done.”

This message only added to the mass of mystery which
had been thickening ever since the early hours of
the morning. Strict guard on James’s effects—­any
sealed package—­what did that mean?
But a very little reflection made Allerdyke come to
the conclusion that all these vague references and
hints bore relation to the possible transaction mentioned
in the various telegrams already exchanged between
James Allerdyke and Franklin Fullaway, and that James
had on him or in his possession when he left Russia
something which was certainly not discovered when Gaffney
searched the dead man.

There was nothing to do but to wait: to wait
for two things—­the result of the medical
investigation, and the arrival of Mr. Franklin Fullaway.
The second came first. At ten minutes past two
a bustling, quick-mannered American strode into Marshall
Allerdyke’s private sitting-room, and at the
instant that the door was closed behind him asked
a question which seemed to burst from every fibre of
his being—­

“My dear sir! Are they safe?”

CHAPTER V

THE NASTIRSEVITCH JEWELS

Allerdyke, like all true Yorkshiremen, had been born
into the world with a double portion of caution and
a triple one of reserve, and instead of answering
the question he took a leisurely look at the questioner.
He saw before him a tall, good-looking, irreproachably
attired man of from thirty to thirty-five years of
age, whose dark eyes were ablaze with excitement,
whose equally dark, carefully trimmed moustache did
not conceal the agitation of the lips beneath.
Mr. Franklin Fullaway, in spite of his broad shoulders
and excellent muscular development, was evidently
a highly strung, nervous, sensitive gentleman; nothing
could be plainer than that he had travelled from town
in a state of great mental activity which was just
arriving at boiling-point. Everything about his
movements and gestures denoted it—­the way
in which he removed his hat, laid aside his stick
and gloves, ran his fingers through his dark, curly
hair, and—­more than anything—­looked
at Marshall Allerdyke. But Allerdyke had a habit
of becoming cool and quiet when other men grew excited
and emotional, and he glanced at his visitor with seeming
indifference.